


A Cuppa

by selenehekate



Series: My Next-Gen Head Canon [11]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Flirting, Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-16
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:34:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23687758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/selenehekate/pseuds/selenehekate
Summary: After reuniting with the Weasley family, Lee Jordan becomes pen pals with Roxie, nothing more. But when he invites her for tea, what changes?
Relationships: Lee Jordan/Roxanne Weasley
Series: My Next-Gen Head Canon [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1229459
Kudos: 3
Collections: Roxanne Weasley and Lee Jordan





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I normally don't include spoilers/warnings at the beginning of my oneshots, but I'm aware this is a squick for some people. This marks the second part of an age-gap relationship saga, though nothing untoward happens when Roxie is underage. All stories that center around Roxie and Lee in this series are clearly marked. You have been warned.
> 
> Story takes place in April 2020

I highly recommend you read “[A Maudlin Christmas](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17187506)” and "[Ghosts](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17201027/chapters/40445822)" first, as events from those story are alluded to here.

* * *

Roxie didn’t hear from Lee Jordan again until Easter. 

She’d nearly put him out of her mind completely when he sent her a parcel during the morning Easter mail. Initially, Roxie didn’t recognize the handwriting on the package; for that reason, she didn’t open it in front of her cousins. Luckily, packages of Easter sweets from the Weasley family, soon arrived, and Roxie was able to slip the mystery package into her bag without anyone being the wiser. Dominique and Lorcan were well-absorbed in a debate about Quidditch players, however, while Lucy and Lysander discussed upcoming exams.

She didn’t open it until that evening, when she sat alone in her bed with the coverings drawn around her. By wandlight, Roxie pulled a licorice wand from the box. Bemused, she turned to the letter that came with it.

_  
April 11th, 2020_

_Roxanne,_

_Thank you for_ _strongly_ _encouraging me to visit your family. This past Christmas was the happiest I’ve had since the war. I enjoyed seeing your parents and telling stories with the Weasley clan. None of that would have been possible without your nosey interference. Thank you, and Happy Easter._

_Enjoy this licorice wand as a token of my thanks. It has a hell of a bite, like you._

_Sincerely,_

_Lee Jordan  
  
_

Roxie silently snorted to herself and reread the letter. Thank you cards were a polite, somewhat meaningless gesture in modern society, and they certainly weren’t meant to be followed up on. Lee had probably sent the letter expecting no response. Too bad Roxanne Weasley had a stubborn streak in her; she wanted to have the last word.

Reaching for a quill, she wrote:

  
_April 12th, 2020_

_Lee—_

_I do hope you’re continuing to visit my family; if I come back for summer hols and find my father moping because you left with no notice, I will hunt you down. There will be no where you could hide where I will not find you, Mr. Jordan.  
  
_

She paused in her writing, wondering if her banter had gone a little too far. But then, who was Lee Jordan to judge? At least she hadn’t run away for four years.

Skimming over the last line once more, Roxie’s lips quirked into a smirk. She added,  
  


_And perhaps my bite would soften if you sent something sweeter. You catch more flies with honey than you do vinegar, you know._

_—Roxie  
  
_

She sent the letter early the next morning and waited all day for a response. None came.

For nearly a week, Roxie wondered if she’d offended him with her cheek. Or worse, perhaps he’d deemed her correspondence unimportant because she was only sixteen, a child. Then, almost immediately, Roxie would berate herself for feeling concerned about the opinion of Lee Jordan. Why did he matter? Why should she lament over a letter from him?

Perhaps it was boredom; as her sixth year drew to a close, Roxie couldn’t help but feel isolated from her peers. Dominique, Lorcan, Lysander, Lucy, James… They were her friends, yes, her family, but they were not concerned with the same things. James and Lorcan were still focused on causing havoc and pulling pranks. Lucy and Lysander were committed to their books and studying, as though life were a test you could ace and not a game you needed to play. And Dominique… well, Dominique continued more focused on boys than anything else—but that wasn’t really new.

Roxie had never been interested in boys. Not because she lacked physical attraction to men (or women; she wasn’t picky) but because they all seemed so _stupid_ to her. She didn’t care about Quidditch or school skirmishes or even studying and career prospects. She’d never met anyone, male or female, whom she could talk to on an intimate level and not feel an inane sense of boredom. Oh, sure Lucy and Lysander could stimulate her intellect, and Lorcan and James her sense of humor, and Dominique her… well, Dominique was family. But none of them could stimulate her heart, her sense of the world around her. That was what Roxie hoped to find in a partner—someone she could share her whole self with without being judged.

Because to this day, no one knew that the Sorting Hat wanted to put her in Slytherin. It was a secret she’d kept close to the vest because none of her family would understand how she, an eleven year old girl, had talked the hat out of it.

So perhaps Lee Jordan’s lack of response hit Roxie’s heart a little harder than she’d anticipated because with him (thus far) she’d been honest in a way she hadn’t previously. Roxie didn’t know if it was the deep hurt Lee had helped perpetuate in her family, the shared pain of grief they experienced, or the fact that they were near strangers to each other, but Roxie had felt able to show her more devious side with Lee.

His owl came a week later.

Once more, it came holding a small brown box, and once more, she slipped into into her bag without her cousins noticing. She snuck away from the table and hurried back to the Gryffindor common room before class to open the parcel—how childish and silly she felt.

In the box, she found a chocolate frog. Smiling, she knew what his letter would contain.  
  


_April 20th, 2020_

_Roxanne,_

_You’ll be pleased to note I had tea with your father yesterday evening. I apologize for the delay in returning your owl; I wanted to wait until I had something positive to report, lest you return to Hogsmeade to attack me._

_I suppose it’s too much to hope the chocolate frog will bring out your sweetness? Or is it too late?_

_Sincerely,_

_Lee_

  
Roxie noted with some amusement that he had signed the letter with just his first name this time. Her lips curled and she pulled out a piece of parchment. She had another minute or so before she would be late to class.  
  


_April 21st, 2020_

_Lee—_

_Far too late for mere chocolate to bring out my sweetness. It’ll take more than that to alter my disposition; I don’t think you’re up for the challenge._

_We have another Hogsmeade weekend in early May. You’d better behave, or I’ll find you. And do call me Roxie. I’ve been inside your home; your lack of familiarity with me is unbecoming._

_—Roxie_   
  


Before long, it became easy to write and wait for Lee’s letters. They never discussed anything deep—Roxie had learned from Uncle Harry that you never put anything in writing which you did not want read by others—but the constant conversation was nice, dependable, fun. There was something about writing to Lee Jordan—a near-stranger whom she knew well—that gave Roxie’s heart a tingle of excitement and joy every time his letters arrived by owl.  
  


_April 25th, 2020_

_Roxie,_

_Or should I make my newfound familiarity more apparent? ROXIE ROXIE ROXIE. Is that better?_

_If you’re too far corrupted for chocolate to cure your quick tongue, I’m not sure anything could, I’m afraid. Maybe you should have been in Slytherin._

_Hogsmeade in early May, eh? I’ll have to make sure I’m out of the country. Save myself from another tongue-lashing._

_Lee_   
  


Her breath caught when she read Lee’s latest letter in the common room. Even as a joke, no one had ever suggested she should be in Slytherin before. Lee saw her cunning when no one else could. She wrote back:

_  
April 26th, 2020_

_Lee—_

_Slytherin would be lucky, just as you’d be lucky to receive a tongue-lashing from me. My wit is unparalleled, and you would be best to remember—_   
  


“You’d be lucky to receive a tongue-lashing from me?”

Roxie jumped with a start and spun around. Her cousin, Dominique, stood behind her with a raised eyebrow. Roxie mentally cursed to herself—idiot, she should have known better than to compose a response in the Gryffindor common room—but she took solace in the fact that Lee’s name had been covered by a text book.

“Just _who_ are you flirting with?” Dominique asked with awe.

Roxie blinked and felt her skin flush. “Flirting? What are you—“

“Oh, don’t play coy with me, Roxie,” Dominique said, sitting beside her cousin. “You like a boy. Finally. I was beginning to think you’d become a nun.” Her lips quirked and she leaned in close, looking for a name on the letter. “Who is he?”

Roxie snatched the letter away and slipped it into her bag. “I’m not flirting,” she replied, thinking quickly. “I’m writing a letter to Fred.”

Dominique blanched. “Your _brother_?”

“No, our dead uncle.” Roxie rolled her eyes. “ _Yes_ , my brother.”

“You’re… You’re flirting with—“

“Don’t be daft, Dominique. Fred asked me for help with a girl. I’m simply giving advice. Examples on things he could say.”

Dominique scoffed and shook her head. “You’re not doing a very good job, Rox, not if he likes her. That’s the kind of thing you say to someone before you sleep with them. Trust me on this,” she said with a wry smile. “The sexual tension with that sentence… man. Getting me hot just thinking about it.” She fanned herself gently.

“Hmm,” Roxie said mechanically. She felt hollow and stunned by Dominique’s assertion. “Good note. Thank you.”

“Any time,” Dominique said with a grin. She stood and stretched, then added, “He should tell her she has nice eyes.” Then she left.

Roxie exhaled slowly, counted to ten, then stood and went to her bedroom. She drew the curtains firmly around her, then looked down at her letter. Sexual? Flirty? Was it? She reached under her mattress where she’d hidden Lee’s other letters and skimmed through them. Now, in the aftermath of her cousin’s comments, she could see how they could be perceived as flirtatious, but that had hardly been her intention. Lee was her father’s age, a former drunk, and responsible—in part—for some tumultuous moments in her childhood. They were hardly flirting—and she could prove it.

She dipped her quill in ink and continued writing:  
  


_You couldn’t handle seeing me in Hogsmeade again. I’m too much for you._

_—Roxie_   
  


She sent the letter, confident that Lee would agree with her and make another silly comment about her aggressive demeanor towards him, followed by a pun of some sort about sweets. They were bantering, sure, but it was playful and fun, not flirtatious. 

The first time Lee Jordan had ever surprised her was this past Christmas, when he’d shown up to the Weasley family dinner after all.

The second time Lee Jordan surprised her was in his response to that letter:  
  


_April 28th, 2020_

_It sounds like we’ll have to see. May 2nd, 11 o’clock. Let’s meet for a cuppa._

_Lee_   


* * *

_May 2nd, 11 o’clock. Let’s meet for a cuppa._

Roxie had read Lee Jordan’s latest missive so many times, she essentially had it memorized. Though the note was simple in premise, Roxie spent an inordinate amount of time attempting to decipher the meaning behind his words. _May 2nd, 11 o’clock._ That was obvious. They were meeting on the 2nd of May, the date of her last Hogsmeade visit of the year. 11 o’clock—also obvious, though Roxie wondered _why_ Lee had chosen that time. Did he want tea before lunch? Would tea include lunch? Was she over thinking this?

_May 2nd, 11 o’clock. Let’s meet for a cuppa._

It was the latter half of the message that Roxie spent the most time dissecting. Why did Lee want to meet her for a cup of tea? Was he sober? Did he anticipate her having an aversion to alcohol because of her father—she didn’t—or a negative attitude towards those who drank? Did he think her too young to imbibe? 

And why the casual air to the sentence? _Let’s meet for a cuppa_. It wasn’t a question, nor was it a command. It felt like Lee were suggesting they meet, but in a playful way. Maybe a flirty way—or was she thinking too much again? Did innuendo linger beneath his words? Did he have intentions, expectations? She certainly didn’t want that.

It probably didn’t need to be said, but Roxie Weasley—who had never before found herself attracted to a man or woman—was a virgin. In truth, she’d never even been kissed. Oh, the desire for physical affection was there, especially late at night, in the privacy of her bed, but she’d never felt the need to engage in these activities with another person. Her peers weren’t interesting to her, and no matter how physically appealing someone was, that lack of mental or emotional interest had always killed any desire of Roxie’s.

As a virgin, she took matters of lust and sex rather seriously, in the sense that she wasn’t going to _have_ sex with a random man. Certainly not her father’s friend _._ It was an absurd notion; whatever Lee Jordan thought about their correspondence, she would be quick to correct, because she wasn’t interested in him in that way.

Roxie scowled to herself and leaned back in her bed. This was all Dominique’s fault. Roxie had been perfectly fine, having a normal—though banter-filled—conversation with Lee Jordan, then Dominique had to come along and put ideas in her head about what their correspondence really was, when in actuality, it was just the exchanging of letters between two family friends, nothing more.

Still, Roxie had to admit her hackles were raised when she wrote back, confirming their appointment, only to receive:  
  


_Perfect. We’ll meet at my flat. I’d give you directions, but you know the way.  
  
_

Two things gave her pause. The first was the obvious—Lee Jordan wanted to meet at his _house_? The very notion lent credence to Dominique’s flirty argument. Swallowing—though her throat suddenly felt very dry—Roxie wondered if perhaps Lee Jordan had some expectations after all. If she hadn’t felt so comfortable with defensive magic, Roxie may have canceled the meeting outright, though she did not. A part of her—a rather large part, if she were honest—felt curious and determined to see this encounter through. She hadn’t snaked her way into Gryffindor because she lacked bravery, after all.

The second thing about Lee’s letter that caught Roxie’s eye was the lack of formality in it. It had no date, no greeting, no signature. Her mind flitted over countless possibilities—he felt comfortable with her, didn’t care enough to be polite, viewed this as just sex (Roxie swallowed) and nothing more, he assumed their correspondence had developed beyond the point of needing headings…

She could have cancelled, but she didn’t. One May 2nd at 11 o’clock, after begging off her cousins and slipping down a side street, Roxie Weasley found herself knocking on Lee Jordan’s front door.

Momentarily, she wondered what she’d do if Lee answered the door wearing nothing at all—Dominique had told salacious stories about men in the past—but thankfully, Lee met her fully dressed, a smile wide on his face. “You made it,” he said cheerfully, holding the door further open.

“You thought I wouldn’t?”

He stepped back and shook his head. “I know better than to assume with you, Roxie.”

Something about the way he said her name made her stomach jolt, as though she’d just jumped off a broomstick. She stepped inside his flat, removing her cloak as she did. “Thank you for the invita-“ She paused, taking in the room in front of her. “You bought furniture.”

The last time she’d visited Lee’s home, he’d had a single black couch in front of the fire. Now, he’d fully furnished the place: a grey area rug rested on the hardwood floors, new airy curtains hung over the windows, a slate coffee table sat in front of the couch—two matching end tables on either side—and a gorgeous wrought-iron lamp stood in the corner of the room. He’d even decorated—a deep blue map of the world hung over the brick fireplace.

Lee’s grin stretched across his face as he shut the door. “Why Roxie, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you surprised before.”

Little did he know this was not the first, nor second, time he’d surprised her. In fact, Lee Jordan seemed to be the only person in the world who could surprise her anymore. She hung her cloak on the coatrack—he had a _coatrack_ now—and casually asked, “Did your mum come by to decorate? Or _my_ mum?”

Lee rolled his eyes. “I did it myself, thank you very much. Actually, that’s why I invited you over. To show you I no longer need to… what did say? Go shopping?” He raised a brow.

She felt her lips quirk into a smile, and she fought it. “I believe you mentioned something about a cuppa?”

He went to the kitchen and bustled around, making tea, as Roxie tried her best to relax. Furniture. That’s why he’d invited her over. Dominique had been wrong about all of the flirtatious mumbo-jumbo. Every moment of panic, anxiety, stress over the last few weeks had been for naught. She could kill Dominique.

When he carried out the tray, Roxie blinked in surprise. “Scones?”

Lee chuckled. “You thought I invited you over tea without feeding you?”

“Color me surprised. Yet again.” She sat on one end of his couch and took the offered cup of tea. “You have a knack for that, Lee.”

“Do I? I should get a medal for outstanding achievement.” He sat opposite her and leaned against the arm of his sofa. A brief frown crossed his face. “I suppose I should get some armchairs. This isn’t the best way to hold a conversation.”

“Look at you, splurging.”

“Well, I can now. I have a job.”

Roxie felt her lips part slightly in surprise—how could Lee Jordan keep surprising her like this? “Do you? Since when?”

“Since I asked you over for tea,” he said with a wide grin. “I got hired that very day. I’ve been in trainings ever since.”

Which explained who his last letter had been so short—he’d been busy. “Doing what, pray tell?”

“Ah, well… Starting tomorrow I’ll be co-hosting a morning radio show,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “‘Eligible Bachelors’ it’s called. Not a dream job, but it gets me back into radio again, keeps me grounded.”

Though Roxie knew little about Lee, there was a rightness to the notion of him doing radio shows. “My father mentioned you used to announce the Quidditch matches at Hogwarts. Would you eventually like to do sports radio?”

Lee snorted. “Certainly not. I was rubbish at it—couldn’t keep my opinions to myself. I think… talk radio would be more my style. Something light-hearted and relaxed.” Then, just like that, Roxie watched as a cloud seemed to fall across his face. “During the war… did your father ever tell you about _Potterwatch_?”

She knew they’d strayed into dark territory for Lee. She kept her voice impassive. “He did.”

“I hosted it. Corresponded with Kingsley, your father… Remus and Fred as guests. We gave the news, information… I was good at it. Really good at it. Just the facts, can you believe it?” He gave a slight smirk, but his eyes were slightly glazed. “I don’t think… I don’t think I could ever do news radio again. I don’t think I could reopen those wounds, you know?”  
  
She hadn’t been there, hadn’t even been alive at the time, but Roxie had watched her own father struggle with the aftermath of the war. “I do.”

Lee blinked, then shook his head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be talking to you about this. You’re so young—“

“Mention my age again, and I’ll curse you into next week,” she interrupted flatly. “I learned some nasty ones from Aunt Hermione. I wouldn’t test me.”

Lee stared at her for a moment, mouth open in shock. He saw the seriousness in her eyes, the unwavering way she met his gaze. “That’s… not a very Gryffindor thing to say,” he said finally.

Her lips twitched despite herself. “Perhaps I’m not a very Gryffindory-Gryffindor.”

He nodded once, accepting the response, though he still looked wary. “I don’t mean to belittle you,” he said at last, “You aren’t a child, I know that. I just forget myself with you. It’s easy to talk to you like I’ve known you for ages… I don’t know.”

Despite herself, her heart pounded in her chest; she felt the same. “Why do you think that is?”

He took a deep breath and looked away. “It’s hard relating to some of my peers. They’ve all moved on, since the war. Settled down, had families, recovered from their scars—or at least they’ve pretended to recover. Me?” His laugh was bitter. “I’m frozen in the past.” Then he looked at her, really looked at her, like he was seeing through her skin and to her soul. “You weren’t there, but you understand because of your father’s journey. Your family experienced tragedy before you were born, and your childhood was kissed by darkness. But through the darkness, there’s a lightness to you, a levity…” He shook his head. “I don’t know. I’ve missed that, I think. And it gives me hope to see both can exist in the same person.”

She felt warm in her seat, heated by his words and open stare. Lee Jordan related with her for their similarities. Little did he know she related to him for their differences, for he could be so open with his thoughts and emotions without fear of rebuke. And she? She had been hiding her true self from her family for her entire life. As a child, she hid her thoughts and opinions so as not to add to her family’s drama, caused by her father’s excessive drinking. Now, she did it more so out of habit, and because the Weasleys thought they knew who she was, and who was she to change their perception?

But she couldn’t admit any of that. For as open as Lee Jordan was, she still felt locked in the persona she’d built for herself. Instead, she swallowed once and said, “I look forward to seeing that levity from you, Lee.”

His face broke into a soft smile, and he took a sip of tea.

“I do have one question for you, though,” she pressed, trying to lighten the mood. “What exactly will you be doing on ‘Eligible Bachelors?’” She lifted an eyebrow to show teasing.

Surprised, Lee let out a sharp laugh. “Going on dates with eligible bachelorettes, obviously. Then talking about it in studio.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Know any luck ladies, Roxie?”

Her stomach jolted once more, but she answered with, “No one I’d want to sic you on, unfortunately. I’ll let you know if I make new enemies.”

He laughed loudly then, head tilted back. “I’m not abhorrent to date you know,” he said with a grin. “I can be quite a gentlemen.”

_Yes_ , she found herself thinking, _I know_. But she only said, “I suppose I’ll have to listen to your show to find out.”

As she left Lee Jordan’s house hours later, Roxanne Weasley felt troubled by two pressing thoughts. The first was that her idiot cousin Dominique—whom she loved very dearly, of course—had been wrong. This hadn’t been an aggressive attempt to seduce her. Lee Jordan had nothing but pure intentions. He desired friendship, companionship, and was about to start dating women his own age. Roxie and Lee were, to be clear, becoming friends and nothing more.

Which was all well and good. Roxie Weasley was a virgin who had never been attracted to anyone—male or female—before.

But the second, and more troubling, thought that ensnared Roxie as she left Hogsmeade was how much she _wished_ Lee Jordan had invited her over to seduce her.


	2. Chapter 2

Roxie’s breathing quickened, her hands trailing between her thighs. She felt her muscles start to tense, and she rubbed a little faster, imagining someone nestled against her thighs, his tongue lapping her skin. _Faster_ , she gasped to herself, _Faster, Lee_ —

As if cold water had been dumped in her bed, Roxie froze. Lee. Did she just think about…

She slid her hand out from under the waistband of her pajama pants. Rolling over, she stared at the dark red hangings of her bed. She’d been feeling pent up for days now, ever since her visit to Hogsmeade. Roxie had crawled into bed after midnight determined to finally take care of her pleasure. So why had her brain called out…

She shook her head, forcing the thought from her mind. It was an _accident_ , nothing more. Roxie had been horny since her visit with Lee Jordan. Thinking about Lee while trying to orgasm was nothing more than a Freudian slip, then her brain making strange connections in the dark. She did _not_ want Lee Jordan.

_Stupid Dominique_ , Roxie thought. She slammed her pillow over her head, lamenting the foolishness of her cousin. Ever since Dominique had pointed out the flirtatious nature of their letters, Roxie had felt self-conscious about them. And now? Now she couldn’t escape thoughts of Lee even in her most private moments.

Enough was enough. Maybe it was time Roxanne Weasley got laid.

She’d initially thought it jokingly—as though the virgin Roxie who felt disconnected from other Hogwarts students really needed to find a boy to sleep with—but when she received Lee’s latest missive the next day, Roxie began to reconsider the matter.

_May 9th, 2020_

_Roxie,_

_I just wrapped my first week of radio broadcast. You should_ not _listen. It got salacious faster than I expected—probably not good Hogwarts listening material._

_But the gig pays well, and I bought two armchairs for my living room. Next time you visit, you won’t have to crane your neck. Provided there is a next time, of course. You’re about to finish the semester, right? I guess the next time I see you will be at your house. I stop by once a week or so to see your dad. But he’s not nearly as feisty as you._

_Good luck on your exams. We’ll celebrate when they’re over._

_Lee_

Roxie swallowed and folded the letter back up. There was nothing salacious in the letter—nothing even remotely flirtatious, even—but somehow Lee’s words sent her mind spinning.

Six years, Roxanne Weasley had been a secretive Slytherin living in the Gryffindor tower, manipulating her family into thinking she didn’t have a devious bone in her body. Six years, she’d looked down on her immature classmates swooning over boys and being unable to separate lust from love. Six years. And now, after one bloody letter from Lee Jordan, she found her heart pounding in her chest. This was stupid. She didn’t have a crush on Lee. Her hormones were getting the better of her, and she needed to do something about them.

Still, with a secretive smirk, Roxie found herself pulling out her radio later that night in the privacy of her bed. Roxie cast a strong silencing charm around her bed and drew the curtains shut. Lee had specifically told her not to listen to his first broadcast. She hadn’t been able to listen live because she’d been in class, but Roxie had always planned to listen after the fact. Now, because Lee specifically _didn’t_ want her to hear it, Roxie knew she needed to listen immediately.

It took her a moment to find the right frequency—older broadcasts got pushed onto later channels without rhyme or reason—and Roxie needed a password to access the broadcast (but Lee had told her in Hogsmeade that the password was “bad dog”). Eventually, Roxie heard Lee Jordan’s voice blare through the speakers of her radio. 

“I wouldn’t say that necessarily,” he said hesitantly.

“So you _didn’t_ use your international voyages to sleep with women around the world?” Lee’s cohost drawled. “Sounds like a missed opportunity.”

Roxie’s mouth dropped—Lee hadn’t been kidding when he said it got salacious quickly—but she didn’t have time to think before Lee spoke again. “I’m not saying I didn’t have sex,” he said with a laugh. “I did. But that wasn’t the purpose of the trip. I traveled to explore the world, to visit different cultures and try new experiences.”

The co-host snorted. “Look at you, making every witch in Britain’s knickers wet.”

“How?”

“Nothing is more attractive than a cultured man, Lee. Come on, you know that. Especially one not _looking_ for sex.”

“Well you can’t be _looking_ for sex,” Lee pushed back. “In my experience—now, maybe this is too far—“

“Out with it, Lee!”

“The best sex happens when it just… happens. I don’t know how to explain it. You meet a girl and she has banter and you find yourself wanting to kiss her and… It just happens. It’s not planned and you’re not _looking_ for it.” Roxie swallowed, deeply aware of how shallow her breathing had gotten and how hot her skin felt.

The co-host disagreed. “The best sex I ever had was with a witch I met at a pub. I never even knew her name. And it only cost me twelve Sickles. Hey-oh!” he said with a hoot.

Roxie thought he sounded like an idiot.

Lee gave a weak chuckle. “I’m not saying one night stands can’t be fun. Merlin knows… Let’s just say in the years after the war I, er, _explored_ my options.” Roxie bit her lower lip as heat flushed through her. “But nothing can beat a genuine connection.”

“All right, fine,” the host conceded. “When’s the last time you had that?”

She felt her chest freeze as she waited for his answer. “Oh, years and years ago,” Lee said with a chuckle. “Near the beginning of the war, actually.” Despite herself, Roxie felt disappointment bloom within her. _Stupid_ , she mentally chided. _You don’t like Lee_.

“Sounds like we need to find you a date,” the co-host said. “If _you_ think you could be a match for our eligible bachelor, write in at—“

She switched off the radio, not needing to hear Lee’s co-host promote him further. Why did she feel so… unsettled, listening to Lee talk about his romantic ideals? Better yet, why was she disappointed that he hadn’t felt a connection with her? She needed to push past this and get over whatever idiotic lust clouded her brain. Putting the radio away, Roxie lay back on her bed and slipped her fingers into her pants. She already felt wet. Her teeth caught her bottom lip—had listening to Lee… She pushed the thought out of her head as she began to stroke her clit, eyes squeezing shut. What she wouldn’t give for a strong orgasm, to scream in ecstasy and erase all thoughts of Lee Jordan from her brain. Lee, with his deep voice and charming smile and firm fingers caressing her skin—

With a gasp she sat up and withdrew her hand from her knickers. Not again. 

“Fuck,” she muttered. This was stupid. Lee said the best sex just sort of happened. Clearly, Roxie’s idiot brain couldn’t wait for genuine connection; she needed to get laid so she could resume being logical and shrewd and exhibiting all of the personal qualities she valued. She needed a boy, and soon.

* * *

Of course, in an effort to appear as normal as possible, Roxie made herself respond to Lee’s letter the very next day. 

_May 10th, 2020_

_Lee—_

_The Weasley’s host an annual end-of-the-year celebration at my grandparent’s house. It’s a large garden party with all of us, plus family friends. You are, naturally, welcome to attend._

_Your broadcast did get rather salacious—nothing encouraged me to listen more than you forbidding me from doing so—however it’s nothing different from what I hear on a daily basis from Dominique. Your broadcast seemed rather tame in comparison. You may want to step it up._

_Enjoy your new job, Lee. I expect I’ll be seeing—and hearing—more from you over the ensuing summer months._

_—Roxie_

On Monday, Roxie left her Potions class at the end of the day on a mission. She had always gotten along rather well with a Ollie Tapp, a Slytherin 7th year prefect who oversaw a lot of Hogwarts extracurriculars. Though Ollie was a Slytherin student, and therefore looked down upon by the Weasley clan, Roxie found him to be kind-hearted and tolerant, if a little immature. He was the first openly half-blood Slytherin student in almost twenty years. Unlike some of his housemates, Ollie made an effort to socialize outside of class with students of all ages and houses. In all honesty, Roxie thought it was a disaster that Ollie hadn’t been named Head Boy that year—but then, the job hadn’t gone to a Slytherin student since the war.

Roxie had initially met him in the Dueling Club her 3rd year, but over the last three years, she also ran into him at inter-house mixers (implemented at Harry Potter’s suggestion after the war), DA meetings (all members had to be 4th years or older), on Hogsmeade trips, and even in the library. He’d always been cordial and welcoming to her. In fact, Ollie Tapp was the first Slytherin Roxie had been able to make small talk with on a consistent basis. Maybe that’s why she’d never been attracted to him.

But it was her very lack of attraction that made Ollie Tapp the perfect person for her to sleep with—because surely, by enjoying random sex with someone she didn’t want to date, Roxie would prove once and for all that she didn’t like Lee Jordan, she just needed to get laid.

She found him in the school library, a quill in hand. Momentarily, Roxie paused, realizing that it was three weeks before 7th years took their N.E.W.T.s and Ollie might have better things to do. She pushed the thought aside. Many people found sex relaxing; it could be the study break he needed.

“Ollie,” she said with a soft smile.

The Slytherin boy looked up with big blue eyes. He had soft blond hair that fell in curls on top of his head, The stubble of a newly-forming beard lay across his firm jaw, which twitched into a smile. “Roxie,” he said, shutting the book on the table in front of him. “How are you?”

If only he knew. Her lips twitched. “Are you ready for your N.E.W.T.s?”

“Nearly. I could use a break.” He raised his eyebrows. “Do you need something?”

It was all too easy. Dominique was right; getting men was a breeze. “Actually, would you be able to help me? I can’t seem to find the book I want in the runes section. I know you’re gifted in that branch of magic.”

“Sure,” he said, slipping his book and quill into his bag. He followed her across the library, towards the back corner that housed the books on runes. The main shelves always had people milling about, but the back corner of the section held obscure ruins in foreign languages, and it hardly ever received visitors. Just to be certain, however, Roxie had laid a few wards of her own to ensure they wouldn’t be seen… or heard. “What are you looking for?” he asked, peering at the shelves.

She stood on her tiptoes, back pressed against the stone wall, and made a show of scanning the book titles. “Southeast Asian runes,” she said with a light frown. “I’m doing a comparison project. I know they’re vast…” She also knew Ollie had done a similar project last year. “I don’t see…”

“This one?” he asked, tipping a book at eye level forward. He raised a brow.

Stupid. She should have hidden the book first. “I suppose we always miss what’s right in front of us.” Then, Roxie took a trick she’d learned from Dominique out of her back pocket: she looked up at Ollie through her lashes and made her eyes as wide as possible. She watched as his breath caught. So easy. “Thanks for the help,” she whispered, rocking forward slightly onto her toes. “Sorry I interrupted your studying.” She licked her bottom lip.

Consciously or not, Ollie mirrored the action and licked his bottom lip as well. “It’s okay.”

“Yeah?” She titled her head to the side. “Do you need to get back yet?”

“I, ah, have some time.”

“Mmm.” Now or never. “Good.” She leaned forward ever-so-slightly, just enough to give Ollie the green light.

He closed the distance, lips pressing against hers in a bruising kiss. He entwined his fingers in her hair and pushed her flush against the wall, hands stroking her neck. She kissed him back with hunger. He felt warm pressed up against her, solid. She wrapped one of her legs around his hips and pulled her closer, could feel him rub against her center. She tilted her head back as he kissed her neck and closed her eyes and pictured Lee’s breath mingling with her own as he trailed his fingers down her skin—

Ollie’s hands cupped her ass and Roxie’s eyes popped open.

“Fuck,” she muttered. She felt nothing, absolutely nothing.

He moaned against her neck, mistaking her swear of annoyance for one of excitement. “Roxie—“

But every time he touched her, she felt more and more outside of her body, as though it were happening to someone else. She couldn’t do this; she didn’t want him. She pushed against his chest. “Ollie… Stop.” She dropped her leg so she stood firmly on the floor once more. “I can’t.”

To Ollie’s credit, he instantly backed away, a look of concern in his eyes. “Are you all—“

She smiled, though she felt shaky. “Just fine,” she acknowledged. “Terribly sorry.”

He held up both hands and smiled. “No problem. I’m sorry if you felt pressured—“

“Trust me. I didn’t.” And that was the whole fucking problem.

Because now there was no where left for Roxie to hide. She’d tried to have random, meaningless sex to prove that she just just another horny teenager, and she’d failed. Miserably. She had to face the truth: Roxie Weasley had a romantic crush on Lee Jordan, her father’s best friend. She didn’t know how it had begun, but she knew she could no longer avoid admitting the inevitable. Roxie wanted Lee—sexually, at least. Maybe even more.

That night, alone in her bed, Roxie found herself tuning into another broadcast of Lee’s radio show.

“Arse man. I’m a complete arse man,” the co-host said in a rude voice. “Breasts are lovely, but a good arse gets me every time.”

“I guess you’re right.”

“You _guess_? Don’t tell me you hate a nice arse! Or are you a legs man?”

“Oh no,” Lee said with a laugh. “I love an arse. But it’s not the most attractive thing about a woman for me. My turn on… it’s all about the mind, isn’t it? She has to be intelligent, witty, a little cunning—“

“That’s all nice, Lee, but you can’t fuck a personality.”

“Mm, you’d be surprised,” he said, voice a little breathy. “Nothing gets me going like a good mind fuck from a woman in control…”

With a gasp, Roxie slipped her hands into her panties. She didn’t know how she felt about her attraction to Lee Jordan yet. One thing she did know: no one else made her feel the way he did.


End file.
